The Twins
by Larien Surion
Summary: Cloud lived alone, just far enough away to get some semblance of privacy, but not far enough to isolate himself from his friends. Trying to recover from a loss, he suddenly ends up with two blonde children on his doorstep and in his care.
1. On My Doorstep

This is a crossover fan-fiction spanning Final Fantasy 7 and Vocaloid. It takes place in the Final Fantasy world, some time after Dirge of Cerberus. For the purpose of this story, Cloud still lives apart from Tifa, but still close enough to the others so as not to isolate himself.  
Due to issues revolving around death/family/and personal problems, this story has been rated M for Mature.

The Twins

Chapter 1 - On My Doorstep

Cloud Strife, closing in on his twenty-eighth birthday, yawned and looked over the pages for the days deliveries. He lived in a somewhat ramshackle house, several blocks from Seventh Heaven. He rather liked the privacy, but there were times when . . .  
He walked over to the window as he noticed a glint from a distance. Sticking his head out, he yelled "QUIT WITH THE SPYING, TIFA!" Cloud slammed the window shut and closed the curtains. Ok, privacy was still a bit of an issue, but at least she wasn't breathing down his neck for everything. Besides, Tifa had someone, so why was she always watching him?  
Stepping out to get the mail, Cloud almost stepped on two children huddled on the steps. He blinked, unsure how they even got there.  
One child was crying, hands up and trying to wipe the tears away from the dirty face. The other child was trying to shush the first.  
"Quiet, the monsters are going to come." The child looked up at Cloud, and the blue eyes got wide with fright.  
Cloud could hear the monsters starting to venture closer. "Get inside." he said, pulling the two children into his house. As he did, he noticed that the hair, while grubby and dirty, was a golden color, much like his own. He closed the door, noticing the bump against it as a monster hit the thick wood. With a sigh, he walked over and dropped his mail on the table. Monsters usually never ventured this far into the city, so these two must have been chased a fair distance in.  
"What are your names?" he asked.  
"I'm Len Kagamine." said the one that wasn't crying. "This is my twin sister, Rin."  
Cloud raised an eyebrow. Twins were a rarity on Gaia as it was, but to find twins abandoned and alone was even rarer. "Where'd you come from?" he asked as he checked outside to see if the monsters were gone, or if he'd have to toss cans of pepper spray out the second-floor window again.  
"I don't remember." Len replied. "Thanks for saving us, Mister."  
"My name's Cloud Strife."  
"Thanks, Mr. Strife." came the softer voice of the sister.  
"Cloud works just fine." he said, smiling slightly at them. The pair were starting to relax, which was a good sign. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have someone living with him again. After all, there were other rooms.  
Rin hiccuped, and Cloud smiled. She looked so cute, dressed in her long sleeveless shirt and short-shorts, legwarmers and dirty white shoes. The filthy white bow in her hair was adorable, too, especially since it seemed to bounce a little as she hiccuped again.  
"Here." Cloud handed her a bottle of water. He handed another to Len, trying to be fair.  
"Thank you." said Rin, her cheeks turning a little reddish.  
"You know, you can stay here if you want." Cloud said. "I've got extra rooms."  
"Thank you." said Len.


	2. Bar Trip

Chapter 2 - Bar Trip

Cloud stepped out with the twins, locking the door.  
"Are the dogs going to be alright?" Rin asked. She was much cuter cleaned up, even if the only thing for her to dress in was some of Denzel's old clothes. She still wore that white bow, which made it easier to tell her from Len.  
"Yeah." Cloud replied. He was a bit surprised when each kid took a hand as they walked, swinging their arms back and forth. Cloud just shrugged, remembering how Marlene would do that, too. Still, it was a little awkward as they neared the bar.  
"Where are we going?" Len asked.  
"Seventh Heaven. I need to talk to a few of my friends there." Cloud still felt the twins stop, pulling his arms back, when he started to steer them towards the bar. "What is it?"  
Rin pouted at him. "That's a bar." she stated.  
Cloud pointed up to the sign, which said quite boldly in neon letters "Seven-h He-ven" with a pair of wings and a halo, of which only one wing was lit. He looked up when he saw the twins rather unimpressed stares. "Oh, Tifa's gonna have to fix that."  
"Who's Tifa?" Rin asked.  
"A friend." Cloud replied, finding his arm grabbed again. "If you want to call her that anymore." They walked into the bar, which was fairly loud, but only because Cid Highwind was drunk off his rocker again.  
"Shera pregnant again or something?" Cloud asked, sitting the twins at a booth.  
"Close." said Tifa as she walked over. "Shera just had twins." She blinked upon seeing the pair with Cloud. "Who are these?"  
"Rin and Len Kagamine." Cloud replied. "They're staying with me."  
"WHAT?!" Tifa shrieked.  
The bar fell silent. Cloud frowned at her as he took his seat. "Did you really have to yell like that?" he asked.  
"Cloud, children aren't like puppies." Barret said, walking over. "They take time. Just look at Marlene."  
Cloud glared at him. "Yeah, just look at her. Ten and on birth control. You made a good example."  
From behind him, Cloud heard Yuffie snicker. "Good one." she giggled.  
"Can it, Yuffie." Cloud replied. "Or should I count your boyfriends?" He smirked as she turned in her seat and lightly clunked him on the head. "Come off it, you guys. I can handle it."  
"Oh, sure. Just like you handled Denzel." said Tifa.  
Cloud stood, glaring at her. "Don't you ever mention him again, got that?" His blue eyes seemed to flicker with an inward anger, and there was a light sparking at his hand.  
Rin scooted closer to Len, scared. The room seemed to get colder for a moment before Cloud turned away from Tifa and sat down again. "Sorry." he said, more to the twins than to Tifa. "Order something, we're going to be here for a while."  
The twins ordered almost the same thing. In fact, the only thing that differed was the drink. Rin ordered orange juice, Len ordered a banana smoothie.  
"You two stay here. I need to talk to someone." said Cloud as the pair began eating. He got up and walked over to where Cid and Vincent were standing with Tifa.  
"You know, Cloud, those two are going to need extra care." said Cid. He was the best of any of them to say anything, and Cloud knew it. Being a father of five counted for a lot.  
"Any suggestions?" Cloud asked.  
"A mother figure." Tifa replied.  
"We've been over this, Tifa. I won't come live with you and Rude." Cloud returned. "You two need your space."  
"Well without a woman to teach them they'll turn out hopeless!" Tifa snapped.  
"We've never had parents."  
Cloud turned to see Len standing there. "What?" he asked.  
"We've always been alone." said Rin. "So Cloud being with us will be better than what we got before." She stood half-behind Len.  
"I agree with the children." said Rude as he came downstairs.  
"Yeek!" The twins were latched to Cloud faster than he thought possible. He put his arms around them and looked at them with a slight smile.  
"That's only Rude. He may look scary, but he's not that bad. He makes fireworks."  
That seemed to help the twins ease up, and they scooted back to the table and their meal.  
Cloud sighed.  
"Cloud, Tifa is right about something, though." Rude said.  
"Hmm?"  
"Rin is a girl. You may want a woman around to teach her a few things." Rude replied as Cloud went back to his table.  
"Reno and Elena live nearby. I can ask Lanny." Cloud answered.  
"Who's Elena?" asked Rin.  
"My cousin." Cloud replied. "Distant cousin, who my mother only muttered about. We met under . . . controversial happenstance."  
"Oh, that's a light way to put she was trying to kill us." said Yuffie. She bonked Cloud again.  
"She wasn't trying to kill us." Cloud argued. "They were only after . . ." he stopped, sighed, and put his head down on the table. "They were only trying to get to her."  
Len and Rin looked at each other, curious, but a look from the ravenette leaning over the back of the chair, and they decided to ask later.


	3. Responsibility

Chapter 3 - Responsibility

Len and Rin looked around. Cloud was nowhere in sight. He'd been there the night before, but now, he was gone.  
Rin's lip started to tremble. "Len, he left us!" she wailed, tears flying.  
Len held his sister close, wondering what they were supposed to do. It wasn't like abandonment was anything new to them, but Cloud had sounded like he wanted to keep them. Why would he suddenly up and leave them like this?  
"It's alright, Rin." Len said, petting her hair. "Why don't we wash and eat something first? Then we'll see what's going on."  
Rin nodded and walked back to the bathroom to get washed up. Len headed for the kitchen to try and figure out what food there was.  
He was confused. The fridge had a few items he couldn't identify, a few he sort-of could, and some more simple ones he definitely understood. One of these was the carton of milk in the door. So he pulled it out and looked around for some bowls and the cereal Cloud kept lying around.  
Rin came bouncing down, her hair wet and wrapped in a hand towel as Len finished putting breakfast out for them. "Yummy!" she squealed.  
The twins ate in relative silence, wondering what they should do next. They had no idea how long Cloud was going to be away, or if he was coming back at all. The pack of dogs out in the yard were barking like crazy, making the twins even more nervous.  
"I'm scared, Len." said Rin as they tried to clean the dishes.  
"I am, too, Rin." Len replied as he put the milk back in the fridge. "But we have to try and stay strong."  
Rin sighed, only to shriek as she dropped a dish, the glassware striking the floor and shattering around her. Scared, she tried to get out of the room, only to step on glass and cut her feet. Blood trailed after her as she escaped the room.  
"Sit, Rin!" said Len. "Just sit down!"  
Two dogs that had pattered in sat to either side of the sister. One of them, a huge beast of a dog, looked at Rin and gave her a big slobbery kiss right across her face.  
Len took her foot and started picking the glass out, trying to be careful. He was grateful that the dogs were keeping Rin's attention as he finished plucking the shards out with his bare fingers. Now, where did Cloud keep the bandages?  
"Stay out of the kitchen, alright?" Len said, trying to find that magical box with the red plus sign on it. He found it, but tying the bandages around Rin's feet was hard. His sister was ticklish, so the bandages were messy at best. But, the cuts were covered. Now to try and get the glass off the floor.  
"Len, what are you doing?" Rin asked, getting another kiss from the big dog.  
"I need the glass off the floor, or we're just going to get hurt again." Len replied. He took the big broom used for sweeping outside and tried his hardest to brush the glass away. It mostly worked, and there was a line of glass and dust against the wall when he finished.  
"Len, it hurts to stand." Rin whimpered.  
"Here, I'll carry you." Len said, helping Rin up onto his back. "Lets go out front, alright?"  
The sun was high, meaning the day was about half over. The twins sat outside, hoping to see Cloud come home soon. They dozed off, leaning on each other, so they didn't notice the sun start to set. Or the pack of hound-like monsters coming towards them.  
Len shifted as the temperature dropped. "Rin. Rin, wake up." he said softly, nudging his sister.  
"Hmm?" Rin looked up at him. "Oh, we fell asleep." She suddenly spotted the monsters. "Look out!"  
Len grabbed hold of her, putting his back to the monsters and trying to shield her. But the monster never hit.  
The sound of a gun firing made both children flinch, but also prompted Len to try and see who had saved them. He gasped when he saw it was a tall man wearing a ragged red cape sitting astride a huge black bird. The weapon in his hand fired again, and Len wasted no time in trying to get Rin inside. But with how shaky his hands were, Len couldn't open the door.  
The man got off the bird and walked over, immediately recognizing them as the two Cloud had brought with him to the bar the other day. Reaching over, he opened the door for them and followed them inside.  
"Who are you?" Rin sobbed, scared beyond all reason.  
"Vincent Valentine." came the deep response. "You're Cloud's pair, aren't you?"  
Len nodded. He was shaking pretty badly, too. "Your not going to kill us, are you?" he asked, still holding his sister.  
"That depends." Vincent replied. His hair nearly stood on end when Rin suddenly burst out crying. Couldn't they take a joke? He flexed his claw, trying to calm himself, when Len whimpered. That was about if for Vincent, and he raked his claws down the nearest wall.  
That was it for the twins. They were both crying, whining that they wished Cloud would get back soon, why had he abandoned them like this?  
There was a crunching of tires on rock, and Vincent almost breathed a sigh of relief. Almost. The twins were still crying, fraying his already unraveled nerves.  
Cloud stepped in, flicking the light on as he did so. "Vincent, what are you doing here? What's going on?"  
A hard smack echoed though the room, and Cloud found his arm and hand stinging. He looked down to see Len scowling at him.  
"Why did you abandon us?!" he sobbed.  
"I didn't . . ."  
"You left us!" Rin screamed.  
Cloud blinked at them. "I had work to do." he said.  
Vincent went to walk out, pausing and putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Try telling them first, before you leave." he said before continuing out and getting his chocobo.  
Cloud sighed. "I forgot. You two didn't know I do delivery work, did you?"  
The twins shook their head.  
Cloud sighed again and stepped into the kitchen, noticing the row of shimmering dirt along the wall. "What happened?" he asked, looking back and seeing Rin's badly bandaged feet.  
"I . . . I dropped a cup." Rin said softly. "I got scared, and ran out of the room and . . . and my feet got cut."  
Cloud sat her down on a chair and unwound the bandages. "I'll be back." He went and retrieved the first aid kit, then sat down in front of Rin again and began working at the injuries. He heard her whimper a few times as he daubed the cleaning solution over the wounds, and noticed Len was watching over his shoulder.  
Looking over, Cloud asked, "You wanna try?"  
Len nodded and sat beside Cloud. Carefully, he tried to mimic what Cloud had been doing. It was . . . endearing, to say the least. Cloud realized that, if he was going to care for these two, some basic things were going to have to be taught. Things he should have told them, or shown them. Just like he should have shown Denzel.  
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`  
Cloud rolled over and grumbled about inconsiderate fools as someone pounded on the door. Looking at his clock, Cloud got up and pulled a shirt over as he went to the door. "What?" he asked, answering. "Oh, it's you."  
Tifa and Rude stood at the door. "What do you mean by that?" Tifa snapped. "I know you abandoned those kids yesterday." She pushed past Cloud and into the house. "And I see you still haven't fixed this crummy place up."  
"I'm working on it." Cloud replied. He noticed Len and Rin had stepped out of their rooms and were now watching the exchange. "I have new fencing up, and the plumbing's fixed."  
"It's not enough to make the place livable for two children! You're hopeless, Cloud, and I'm here to take the kids back with me!"  
"I'm not stupid!" Cloud returned.  
"You have about the same brain-power as the chocobo!" Tifa snapped back.  
"You're not taking them!" Cloud argued. "How am I supposed to know how to do anything if I'm never given the chance?"  
"You had a chance!" Tifa yelled. "And you failed, just like the chocobo-head you are!"  
There was a sniffle from the direction of the twins, and Cloud clenched his fist. "Get out." he said as evenly as he could.  
"I'm not leaving without them!" Tifa yelled.  
Cloud grabbed her by the arm and walked her out the door. "I said, get out." Cloud repeated. He turned and let Rude leave before slamming the door in their faces. Turning back to the twins, he saw that they looked frightened again.  
With a sigh, Cloud went and got the kettle boiling to make oatmeal. He looked back at the scared pair. There was no way he could leave them for the whole day, again. Tifa might just try to come and take them by force.  
Picking up his cell phone, Cloud dialed his client. "Hey, Reeve. It's Cloud. - I'm doing not that bad. - I need to ask a favor. Can you handle today's deliveries? I have something that needs my time and attention right now. - Thanks. - Yeah, I'll explain the next time I'm in, alright? - Kay. Bye."  
Len was looking at the kettle when Cloud looked back. "What's it doing?" he asked, reaching over to poke it.  
"Don't touch." said Cloud. "It's hot." He put an oven mitt on Len's hand. "There, now it's safe."  
Len looked at the mitten. "Huh?"  
"The kettle boils water." Cloud replied. "It gets hot enough to burn skin." He picked it up by the handle using another oven mitt. "It's also hot enough to cook breakfast." He poured some of the water into the three bowls of oatmeal. "So, what flavor?"  
"Huh?" asked Rin.  
"In your oatmeal. What fruit do want with it?" Cloud asked.  
"Oranges." Rin replied.  
Cloud gave her a look. "Oranges in oatmeal?" He shrugged. "First for everything, I guess." He peeled the orange and put the segments on the oatmeal before placing it on the table in front of her. "Sugar?"  
"Huh?"  
Cloud shook his head. "Just let me know if it's sweet enough. Len, what do you want on . . . oh, you got it." He smiled when he saw Len, his hand free of the oven mitt, peeling his third banana and putting it on his oatmeal whole. Life certainly was going to get interesting.


	4. Hot Summer Day

Chapter 4 - Hot Summer Day

Cloud placed the dishes in the rack to dry and sighed. Well, breakfast had gone well. Now then, about clothes . . .  
It was obvious that Denzel's things were too big for either of them, given that Len had now tripped for the third time on his own pantlegs. Rin's shoulder kept showing from the neck-hole, so it was a little obvious they were in need of clothes.  
Cloud walked over and took a clothes pin to tighten the neck on Rin's shirt. "Just hold still. We're going out to get you clothes anyway, just . . . there."  
Rin blinked, tugging at the shirt a moment. "It doesn't fall off." she said, quite surprised. "Huh?"  
Cloud was cuffing up the legs on Len's pants. "How old are you two, anyway?" he asked as he finished.  
"About fourteen." Len replied.  
Cloud sighed. They were about the same age as Denzel was. Well, that made a few things easier. He remembered some things from his own childhood growing up with the girls in the village (he'd been the only boy in the village for years). "Come on. We need to go out for a bit."  
The twins followed him out. "We're not going to see the bitchy lady today, are we?" asked Rin.  
"Huh?" Cloud asked, looking down at her.  
"The one with the brown hair and the big boobs." Len replied.  
Cloud snickered at the description. "That's Tifa, and we're not going to the bar today."  
"Where are we going, then?" Rin asked.  
"Well, first we have to stop by Cid's shop to see about a side car for Fenrir."  
"Who's Fenrir?" Len asked.  
"My motorcycle." Cloud replied. "It's the model type, but I've just always called it that."  
"Oh." Rin thought for a moment. "But, why's it need a side car?"  
"Well, I can't be leaving you two alone all the time, so I figured when there's good weather I'd take you two with me for the deliveries. But I can't do that without a side car, since there's no space on the back of Fenrir for two people and the parcels."  
"Cool." said Len. He tripped on his pant leg again, falling flat on the ground.  
"You alright?" asked a big man wearing a white shirt and jeans, and chewing on a toothpick.  
Len looked up at him. "Um, uh . . ."  
"Hey, Cid." said Cloud, trying to let Len know it was ok to talk to the man.  
"I'm ok." Len said, getting up and dusting his pants off.  
"Those look a little big for him, Cloud." Cid smiled.  
"We're taking care of that after the visit." Cloud replied. "Shera around? I wouldn't mind meeting your twins."  
"He's got twins?!" the pair chirped.  
Cid grinned. "She's in the workshop right now with the kids." He led them over to where three kids ranging from four to one wandered around on child tethers, and two newborns were snuggled together in a stroller.  
Len and Rin both kinda just stared at the babies for a bit. "Little people." said Rin softly.  
Len nodded. "Very little." he added.  
Cloud smiled. "They're adorable, Cid." He gently rubbed the head of Cid's oldest child, the four-year old. This one had been just newly born when he'd taken on Kadaj, and it had torn Cid apart to be away from Shera just after their first child. It had hurt even more when he'd helped the WRO assault on Midgar a year later, when he'd missed the birth of his second child, and his first daughter. Since then, whenever it got close to Shera's due dates, there was no prying Cid from her side.  
"Thanks." Shera smiled. She looked at Len and Rin. "It's ok to touch them."  
"Really?" Rin asked, her huge eyes looking at Shera. "But I don't want to break them."  
Cloud and Cid walked a short distance away while Shera helped the twin sit and hold the new babies. "They look so stiff holding them." Cloud said.  
"Eh, they'll ease into it." Cid grinned. "So, I doubt your here for just a social call, Cloud. What do you need?"  
"A side car for Fenrir."  
Cid spit his stick out and looked at Cloud with a raised eyebrow. "You serious?"  
Cloud nodded. "They panicked when I left them at home alone, and I'm try to find ways that won't end up with them in either Tifa's care or like Denzel, so . . ."  
Cid put his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "I may have what you need. I'll be over later to fit it to yer bike."  
Cloud handed him the garage key. "I have a bit of shopping to do with these two, so here's the key to get into the garage. Just bring a bone for Bruno."  
"The guard dog. Alright." Cid smiled and fished another stick out of his pocket.  
"Oh, right, you quit smoking after the first one was born. I'd almost forgot." said Cloud. He scratched the back of his head and bit his lip. He was in need of a smoke, but wasn't sure if he should.  
"Outside with it." Cid told him. "Shera and I can watch 'em for the few minute it takes for that habit."  
"Thanks." Cloud stepped out and lit up his cigarette. The light buzz from the nicotine wasn't really why he smoked, not initially. It had been an escape at first, a way to divert his mind from a mistake he'd made. Eventually, the addictiveness had caught up to him, and he was often found outside having a smoke at least three times a day.  
Lightly breathing the tainted air out his nose, Cloud sighed. This was something he was going to have to tell the twins about as well, even though he was sure they already knew. His clothes reaked of smoke, but it would probably be better to just be up front about it.  
A hand touched his, and Cloud nearly jumped. Looking down, he spotted Rin. "Hey."  
Rin just blinked at him for a moment. "Why are you smoking?" she finally asked.  
"It helps me relax." Cloud replied. "I know I should quit, but I haven't been able to."  
"It's ok." Rin said. "Len does, too."  
Cloud looked at her. "What?" he asked. "He's too young to get these."  
"He picks them off the ground." Rin replied. She looked up at Cloud. "I drink."  
Cloud sighed. "Well, that's more incentive to quit." he said, rubbing out the stub in his palm. "And as for you, the occasional drink is alright, if it's in moderation."  
"When it's all you can get, it doesn't really make a difference." Rin replied. "But ok."  
Just then, Len seemed to appear on Cloud's other side. He put his hand out. "Can I?"  
Cloud sighed. "When we get home." he said. "Looks like we're both quitting this."  
Len frowned, but a look from Rin told him Cloud was doing this for their benefit. He nodded, and they waved goodbye to Cid and his family as they headed towards the clothing store.  
The store wasn't air-conditioned. In fact, the four fans on the ceiling didn't rotate, either, making the place seem stuffy. Cloud picked through the clothes, trying to find decent things to dress them in.  
"This ok?" Cloud asked, holding up a pink shirt against Rin.  
The girl smiled. "I like it." she said. She spotted Len looking at a sundress. "You can't wear dresses, Len."  
"I thought it might look nice on you." Len replied.  
"Well, we can get one if she wants one." Cloud blinked at the style. It was white and blue, similar to a dress Aerith used to wear. He remembered it from a picture Zack had shown were even flowers sewn into the one shoulder strap. "I think it would work." he said. He checked the boys clothes, even as the twins picked out another dress to put Rin in as well.  
Len wasn't all that picky. He said whatever Cloud picked out was alright. But he did seem to prefer shorts over pants, so Cloud only bought two pair of jeans for him.  
Getting underwear was interesting. Cloud knew that since Rin was a girl, a chest covering was necessary, but he didn't get what her problem was when he got the underwear.  
"No, no, no." Rin argued. "I'm not wearing boy's underwear."  
Cloud blinked at her. "But, it just covers the parts the same, doesn't it?"  
"No boy's underwear." Rin stated. "Girl's underwear." She handed him a package of pink frillies.  
Cloud shuddered. He had bad memories of those kinds of things that he really wished would abandon his brain at some point. The horrifying memory of Tifa and six of her friends putting him in girl's clothes was one memory he wanted forgotten. Then there was that pretty satin number that Aerith had put him in . . .  
He paid for the clothes and headed out before he could obtain any more mental scars.  
Len seemed a little out of it, actually, dragging his feet some as they stepped back outside into the warm, stale city air.  
"You ok?" Cloud asked.  
Len nodded. "Just a little . . ." He dropped suddenly, falling to the floor as they entered the house.  
"Len!" Rin shrieked.  
"Just stay with him." said Cloud. He pulled his phone out and dialed Elena.  
"Cloud?" Elena asked as she answered the phone.  
"I need help." Cloud said. "He collapsed."  
"Who collapsed?"  
"The boy. I need help, something's wrong with him."  
"I'll be over soon." The phone clicked, and Cloud put it down and headed back to the door.  
"Is he going to be alright?" Rin asked.  
"Elena should be here soon." Cloud replied, watching out the door. He answered as soon as Elena walked up the steps.  
Rin blinked. The girl had pale-blonde hair and a kind face, but her belly was rather large. "Can you help my brother?" she asked.  
Elena turned and smacked Cloud. "He just fell there, didn't he?" she asked.  
Cloud nodded.  
"You should have moved him, at least to the couch." she scolded. She put a hand on her belly and sighed.  
Cloud picked Len up and moved him to the couch. "So, what's wrong with him?" he asked.  
Elena checked the boy's forehead, then his pulse. "Hmm?" She paused and put her hand on her stomach again, rubbing her belly.  
Len blinked awake, suddenly coughing. Cloud turned and got a bottle of water, handing to Len so he could drink.  
"How'd you know that one?" Elena asked as she stood up carefully.  
"Dry cough." Cloud replied. "I get it sometimes, too."  
"It wouldn't be from that bad habit you picked up off of Reno, now, would it?"  
Cloud nodded, feeling a little guilty.  
Len gasped after downing the whole bottle, coughing a little. "Oh, my head." he groaned.  
"Well, Cloud, just to let you know, he has heat stroke." Elena said. "Just make sure he gets more water while he's outside, and it should be alright."  
Cloud nodded.  
"Now, is there anything else you need help with?"Elena asked, noting the bags of clothes in the corner.  
"What's the difference between boys and girls underwear? Aside from the flap and frills." Cloud asked.  
"Girls don't need the flap, Cloud." Elena replied. "A smoother surface is more preferable for girls, too."  
Cloud scratched his head.  
"You don't understand still, do you?" Elena asked.  
"Not really." Cloud replied. "Besides, don't the frills itch?"  
Elena giggled. "Not really." she smiled. "You understand why boy's need the flap, right?"  
Cloud nodded, giving her the 'I am a guy' look.  
"Girls aren't built that way, so the underwear isn't the same."  
"Oh."  
Elena sighed, wondering just how clueless her cousin could be.  
"Cloud." said Rin, suddenly appearing from seemingly nowhere. "Why's she got a big belly?"  
Elena laughed at the bluntness. "I'm pregnant." she replied. "Six months along."  
Rin blinked at her a moment, then smiled. "A baby?" she asked.  
Elena nodded.  
"Ok." Rin bounced back to where Len was sitting.


	5. More Girl Things to Know

Chapter 5 - More Girl Things to Know

Len and Rin stared at the contraption attached to the side of the motorcycle. What the heck was it?  
"Get in, you two." said Cloud as he tied the parcels to the back of Fenrir.  
"Uh, ok." Rin climbed in first, and Len quickly followed. The two squirmed a bit until they got comfortable.  
"What is this thing?" Len asked as he was handed a large box.  
"It's called a packed lunch." Cloud replied. He put a large bottle of water next to Len as well. "And that's so you don't faint on me again."  
"Uh, ok." Len set the box on the floor of the side car, not wanting to loose it on the road. "Where are we going?"  
"I have some deliveries to make, and the weather is fair, so I'm bringing you two with me." Cloud replied. "This way you know what I do for a living, and I'm not leaving you alone in a warm house. Just, if I tell you to duck, do it." He started the motorcycle and drove out into the city.  
Rin giggled as the wind the traveling generated tossed her hair around. "We-e-e-e!" she squealed.  
Cloud smiled. It was good to hear happy sounds from the twins. He drove out of the city and started across the plains towards Kalm. As he parked the bike, he looked over at Rin and Len.  
Len quickly opened the bottle and drank some water, feeling a little faint but not wanting to have lost the bottle during the trip. He smiled at Cloud as he put the cap back on. "So, where's this?" he asked.  
"This is Kalm, specifically the WRO building. I do most of my deliveries for them, so this is where I usually go first." Cloud explained. "And the guy walking towards us with the huge stuffed cat is Reeve."  
Len and Rin just stared, not at Reeve, but at the black and white cat that walked over on it's hind legs and waved at them.  
"Glory be, Cloud! Ye gots kids with ye!" said the cat.  
Cloud looked at Reeve. "Must you, Reeve? You can't say it yourself, so you make the cat say it?"  
Reeve chuckled. "They seem to like it."  
Len poked at Cait Sith with a stick he'd found in the bottom of the side car. He didn't like the weird thing that stared at them and kinda bounced where it stood.  
"I beg to differ on that opinion." said Cloud. He got the parcels off the back of the bike. "Here you are, shipment from Seventh Heaven."  
Reeve nodded as he signed the slip. "And this is the shipment we have for you to take over to Junon."  
Cloud looked at the box. "Good thing I've got the bungee cord." he said. "That would never fit otherwise."  
"Oi, would ya stop pokin' me, laddie? It hurts, ya know?" said Cait Sith.  
This line prompted a somewhat more violent reaction from Len, in the form of actually walloping the cat with the stick instead. "Demon Cat!" he snapped.  
Cloud snickered as he strapped the box to the back of Fenrir. "He asked for that." he said in response to Reeve's startled expression.  
"But, it's only an automaton." Reeve returned.  
"Demon!" Len walloped Cait Sith again.  
Cloud outright laughed. "It doesn't mean it's a demon, Len. It just means it's not alive."  
Len looked up at him, startled. "Huh?"  
"It's not alive. It never was. Cait Sith is just a robot that Reeve controls." Cloud explained. "It would have been better if Reeve had deactivated him first so you could see properly, but I guess this method works too." He indicated to the large dent in Cait Sith's head, and yet the automaton was still moving.  
Rin peeked around Len at the robot. "Weird." she said. "Hey Len, can you whack it again?"  
Reeve picked the cat up, and it hung limply in his arm. "I take it these two are what took up your time yesterday?"  
"Yeah. I took them in." Cloud replied, ruffling Len's golden locks. "I made a mistake my first day with them and left without saying anything, so I needed a day to get things ready so they could come with on good days."  
"Just be careful, Cloud. This line of work is dangerous."  
"I know." Cloud replied. "Fenrir is still equipped."  
"Just watch out out there." said Reeve.  
Cloud climbed back onto the motorcycle and drove off.  
Len and Rin shifted around a bit, eventually having Rin fall asleep on Len's shoulder as they arrived at Junon. Cloud made his delivery at the dock, and then they headed back towards Edge. It was just past noon when they arrived back at the house.  
Rin shifted, but didn't look very comfortable as they parked. Frowning a bit, she waited for Len to get out of the side car.  
Len climbed out, only to notice his shorts leg was wet. Since it was a dark material, he touched it to see what it was. His hand was red when he looked at it.  
Cloud turned at the sound of the scream. "What is it?" he asked, heading over.  
"Blood." said Len, his hand shaking in front of him.  
"Are you hurt?" Cloud asked.  
Len shook his head. "It's on the side Rin was on."  
Cloud looked at Rin, who wasn't looking very comfortable. "Something wrong?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"  
"My stomach hurts." Rin replied.  
"Here." Cloud picked her up bridal style, only to hear Len gasp. "What is it?"  
"Her dress is soaked in blood." Len said, whimpering a little.  
Cloud hurried into the house, not caring about the fact that Tifa was watching him again through her binoculars. He was too worried about Rin's health. Carefully putting the girl down in the bath tub, Cloud handed her a cloth. "Here, try to clean up and find out where your hurt. I'm going to call Elena and see if there's anything that I might have done wrong." He stepped out of the bathroom and called his cousin. "Lanny."  
The voice on the other end sounded exasperated. "What, Cloud?"  
"It's about Rin."  
"What now?"  
"Well, I took the kids with me on delivery duty, and when we got back, there was blood everywhere in the side car. I brought her inside, she's in the bath tub right now, but, well . . ."  
"I'll be over in a moment to see what's wrong." There was a pause. "Reno's coming, too."  
"That's fine." Cloud hung up and headed to the room to get a change of clothes for Rin. Why was it the kids kept getting hurt without his knowledge? Was he really that bad a protector and guardian? He stepped out as he heard the front door open, seeing Len let Elena and Reno in.  
"She's upstairs." said Cloud, handing Elena the change of clothes. "I put her in the tub and gave her a washcloth to clean up and find out where she's hurt." His face was a rather cute shade of crimson, showing that he was rather embarrassed about all this.  
"Ok." Elena took the clothes and made her way up the stairs. She knocked on the bathroom door. "It's Elena."  
"You can come in." Rin looked up as the blonde woman stepped in. She had taken off her dress as was sitting there in only her flannel sports bra, trying desperately to clean the blood off her inner thighs and legs.  
Elena sighed and put the clothes down, kneeling beside the tub. "Rin, sweety, your never going to clean it all up like this." She wet the cloth and washed Rin's legs for her. "I guessed this might have happened, so I brought some of my supply."  
"Supply of what?" Rin asked as she stepped out of the tub. "I'm still bleeding."  
"You will be for a while, Rin." said Elena. "It's called a period, and girls get them." She smiled. "It's alright, I'll teach you how to use these."  
. . . Downstairs, Cloud paced. He was worried, and rightfully so. Len had changed his shorts and was now trying to clean the blood out of the one leg. Cloud had done his best to clean the seat in the side car, but it would be at least two days until it was dry. Now, he was waiting to find out what was wrong with Rin.  
The stairs creaked as the two girls came down them, and Cloud looked over. "Well? Is she going to be alright?"  
Elena nodded. "It's just fine, Cloud."  
"But, all that blood . . ."  
Reno started laughing, making Len look at him like he'd lost his mind.  
"Cloud, it's just a period. Girls get those." Elena replied. "I'd recommend having some feminine items around, now that Rin's started to get hers."  
Cloud gave her a confused look.  
"Dude, didn't you listen to the girls you traveled with during your time with Avalanche?" Reno asked.  
"They never really spoke about it." Cloud replied.  
"Oh, right." said Reno, disbelievingly. "Like that time at the chocobo farm?"  
"What about it?" Cloud asked.  
Elena sighed. "Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie were all talking about their collective period, and how much of a pain it was. I remember because we were hiding in the hay nearby. Vincent and Cid were both red in the face from the discussion."  
"I don't remember that." Cloud replied.  
Reno sighed. "You were too busy petting your chocobo to care."


	6. Boy Problems

Chapter 6 - Boy Problems

"Oh, man." Len worked furiously at trying to wash his underwear. "Oh, goodness, it's still sticky."  
"Len, is something wrong?"  
"YEA!" Len squawked, accidentally tossing the wet garment, which landed itself on the head and face of the speaker. He turned, only to see it was Cloud. "I . . . it was all sticky . . . I woke up with it like that, and . . . I wanted to get it clean, and . . ." His face turned red as he tried to explain himself.  
Cloud peeled the garment off his head, noting the smell. He knew what happened just by the smell, and to see Len so flustered about it meant this was the kid's first time having it happen. "Len, it's alright."  
"Huh?"  
"I know what happened." Cloud replied, handing the underwear back to the boy. "It's called a wet dream. They happen as you grow up."  
"It still stinks." Len replied, returning to his task of cleaning his underwear.  
Cloud sighed. "It's probably time I tried explaining some things to you two."  
Len finished with the task at hand and hung the underwear up to dry. "What's that?" he asked.  
"Let's get Rin, first." said Cloud. "Saves explaining twice."  
"Ok." Len went over and knocked on his sister's bedroom door. "Rin?"  
"I'm in here!" she called from the bathroom.  
"Ok. Cloud said he wants to talk to us." Len said.  
"Alright. Be out in a minute." Rin called. She was out a moment later, and the two came to the livingroom, where Cloud was sitting.  
"So, what did you want to talk about, Cloud?" Rin asked.  
"Uh, well, you're both growing up, so, uh . . ." Cloud's face started to turn a little reddish with embarrassment.  
_This is almost funny_, thought Rin. _He turns red for almost anything that relates to a girl._  
"Well, getting older can cause changes and, umm, different urges to . . ." Cloud paused when there was a knock at the door. With a sigh, he got up and answered. "What now, Tifa?"  
"I'm here for the twins." Tifa said.  
"First of all, call before coming over, we were in the middle of something." Cloud said. "And secondly, they aren't going with you."  
"I've heard how many times you've had to call on Elena for help." Tifa snapped.  
"At least I'm asking for help this time!" Cloud snapped back. He heard more than saw the twins come over.  
"You'll never be a fit parent!" Tifa snapped back. "They'll only end up like Denzel in the end."  
"I won't make that mistake!" Cloud returned.  
Tifa looked past Cloud to the twins. "Come here, you two. You're coming home with me."  
"No." said Len. "We're not going with you."  
Cloud swallowed, but remained with his arm across the door to keep Tifa from entering his house.  
"He may be awkward and clumsy, but Cloud is trying to do his best for us." Rin added.  
"He's as dumb as they come." Tifa snapped. "Fine, stay with the chocobo-head. But don't come crying to me when one of you ends up like Denzel." She grinned slightly when she saw their confused faces. "He hasn't told you about Denzel, has he?"  
"Get out." said Cloud. When she made no motion to leave, he wet his mouth and pursed his lips as though to whistle for the dogs.  
"I was just leaving." Tifa said with a smirk.  
Cloud slammed the door behind her in an effort to make his point. With a sigh, he turned to face the twins, almost afraid of what they were going to say. He was right.  
"Who was Denzel?" Rin asked.  
"Sit down." Cloud said softly. "I'll tell you about the son I used to have."


	7. Denzel Strife

Chapter 7 - Denzel Strife

Len and Rin sat on the couch, wondering if they'd asked something they shouldn't have. This wondering got even more intense when Cloud sat on the chair across from them holding a photo frame.  
"This was Denzel." he said, showing them the picture. The boy in the picture was about their age, with brown hair and eyes, and a smile that said he was the happiest kid in all Gaia. "He was my son, by adoption. We used to live in Seventh Heaven with Tifa, but after she started to see Rude, we moved out. Just a few houses away, so he could still play with Marlene, but it was enough to give us some privacy to be father and son."  
"He looks very happy in the picture." said Len.  
"He was. Happiest kid I ever knew. The problem was, I worked. I'd leave to do deliveries, and Denzel would stay home, alone, for days at a time. But, he would always greet me with a smile and welcoming hug. He idolized me, and that was our problem."  
"How was it a problem?" Rin asked.  
"I was his hero, and I kinda abused that. We never really did much together, so Denzel never learned some of the most basic things, like how to cook. I was almost always away on deliveries, and he was always at home. The few times we were together, I did all the cooking, so he never learned. It's what finally ended things."  
The twins looked at each other, then at Cloud. "What happened?" Len asked.  
"I was away for a long delivery trip. I was gone too long. When I did return, Denzel wasn't at the door to greet me like he always was. I figured he'd gone to bed, since it was late. But the dogs were barking, something they didn't normally do without reason.  
"When I came inside, Denzel was lying on the floor, sick. He'd thrown up several times, it was all over the floor, and he was weak. He couldn't even stand. I took him to his room, but I was too proud to call someone over to look at him. He died two days later." Cloud wiped the tears from his face. "The doctor who saw the body said he'd been poisoned, and that if I'd brought him to see him, Denzel would have survived."  
The twins were quiet.  
"It's because of my pride that he died. It's the reason Tifa keeps trying to take you two away. And why I call Elena and Reno almost any time I need help for something." Cloud sounded pitiful. "It's also why I live further away from Seventh Heaven now. I couldn't stay where Denzel had died."  
Len and Rin both got up and approached Cloud. "Cloud."  
He looked up at them. "Yeah?"  
They both hugged him. "Thanks for telling us. We appreciate what your doing." said Rin.  
"And thanks for taking care of us." added Len.  
Cloud held them both close. "Thanks."


	8. The Talk

Chapter 8 - The Talk

"Len, Rin!" Cloud called as he came in. "I'm home!"  
The twins came running over, followed by their sitter, Shera. "Cloud!"  
"Sorry it was longer than I thought, Shera." Cloud apologized between hugs. "I didn't mean to be gone this late."  
"It's alright. You called, which is better than last time." Shera replied. "Cid said he'd be over to get me in a bit, anyway."  
Cloud nodded. Three months had passed since he'd taken the twins under his roof, and while they were mostly used to having to stay home on days with bad weather, Cloud still preferred to have someone at least check up on the kids, or be over to help them cook if he was going to be gone over dinner.  
"So, why couldn't Elena come over?" Shera asked as she got her twins ready to go home.  
"The baby came." Cloud replied. "About a week ago, and she gets to come home today."  
"Elena had her baby?" Rin asked.  
"Yeah." Cloud replied. "They're supposed to come visit tomorrow, so you'll get to see the baby then."  
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`  
Elena laughed as Rin and Len gently touched little Rita's hands. The twins were so enamored by the little girl that waved at them and blinked her huge blue eyes.  
"She's so little." smiled Rin.  
"Um, Cloud, where did she come from?" Len asked, finding the other in the kitchen.  
Cloud looked at him. "Elena had her."  
"But how?" Len asked.  
Reno saw the flustered look on Cloud's face. "Oh, this is gonna be priceless." he said with a grin.  
"Uh, well, um . . ." Cloud could see there was no way out of this one, given the double set of expectant blue eyes staring at him. "A guy and girl . . . they do things . . . if they have feeling for each other, and, um, well, things happen, and the girl gets pregnant and has a baby."  
Len figured there wasn't going to be any better explanation than that out of Cloud, so he just shrugged and took it as that. He grabbed a banana off the counter and peeled it before going to step out of the kitchen. He blinked at Reno, who was trying not to kill himself laughing at Cloud's explanation.  
"What's so funny?" Len asked.  
"That had to be the most pathetic excuse for sex-ed ever." Reno snickered.  
Rin looked at Reno, then back at Cloud. "What kind of things to the guy and girl do?" she asked.  
Cloud felt cornered. "How should I know?" he asked. "I got my explanation from a friend who got his off the backside of a bathroom stall."  
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Really?"  
"Zack wasn't much for explaining things." Cloud replied.  
"Should I ask Elena?" Rin asked.  
"Better than asking Tifa." Cloud said. He followed Rin out of the kitchen, cringing at the next line out of the younger blonde female's mouth.  
"What does a guy and a girl do to get a baby?"  
Elena looked over at Cloud. "Oh, Cloud." she called. "Why is she asking me this question, and not you?"  
"Because my explanation had more holes in it than a wall after Barret shoots it." Cloud replied with a sigh.  
"Didn't your mother go over this with you?" she asked.  
"Nope. I left home before she could."  
"And you've never had a girlfriend?" Reno asked.  
"Kinda just got one." Cloud replied. "She works at the WRO."  
Elena sighed. "So, no one ever told you about sex?"  
Cloud shifted, a little uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going. "I got my explanation from Zack." he said, looking a bit nervous. "You know how that relationship was."  
"I remember." said Reno. "Seeing you do the shuffle-walk at drills wasn't fun."  
Elena rolled her eyes. "So, no, you were never told what sex was." She sat Rin down and looked over the back of the seat. "Len, get in here. You should here this, too."  
Cloud tried to make an escape, but Reno grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Nu-uh, Cloud. You have a girlfriend, you should know this stuff, too."  
The blonde whimpered, but sat anyway. This was going to be horrifying . . .  
. . . Len and Rin looked between them at Cloud, who was very white-faced and wide-eyed. "That was more than I ever needed to know." Cloud muttered.


	9. Dogs

Chapter 9 - Dogs

Cloud pulled up to the house. "Well, this is my place." he said, helping his passenger out of the side car.  
"It's . . . interesting." the woman replied, following Cloud up to the door.  
"I'm home!" Cloud called as he stepped in. Without much thought, he caught the twins as they came running over and gave them both hugs. "So, how'd things go?" he asked.  
"It went ok." Len replied. He spotted the girl. "Who's this?"  
"This is Selphie, my girlfriend." Cloud replied. "Selphie, these are Len and Rin Kagamine."  
"Hi." smiled Rin. She circled around Selphie once, then looked at Cloud. "Cloud, why's she have silver hair?"  
Cloud winced, letting the girl know she'd said something wrong.  
"My father had silver hair." Selphie replied. "It got it from him." She looked at Cloud. "So, who exactly are these two?"  
"They're the twins I told you about." Cloud replied. "I've mentioned them every time I see you at work."  
"Oh, that's right. I thought they were younger." Selphie said.  
Len took Rin's hand. "Come on. Let's leave Cloud with his girlfriend for a bit."  
"Ok." Rin followed Len outside where the dogs were playing. It was a warmer fall day, so there was no need for a jacket, and they were both wearing shorts. The dogs were lively, so there was no need to worry. Or think there could be a few extra . . .  
"Aah!" Rin screamed as a wild dog jumped at her, snarling and biting her arm.  
Len turned. "Rin!" He tried to get to her, but the dog wasn't alone. Another dog attacked Len, and even as Rin managed to beat the first dog off her, a third bit her upper leg.  
Cloud came out of the house to see what the screams were about. Grabbing the broom, Cloud hit the wild dogs away from the twins, even as his own dogs tried to fight them off. Eventually, the three wild ones ran off, tails between their legs.  
Cloud tried to pick the children up, but one child was already an armful. "Selphie, I need help! Selphie!" When she didn't come, Cloud realized she'd left him during the commotion. Desperate to get them in before the blood attracted other unwelcome guests, Cloud lifted each under an arm and hurried in.  
"Come on." Cloud whispered as he put the twins to bed and tried to dial Reno and Elena. "Pick up." There was no answer. Looking over at the frightened children, Cloud turned to the only other person he could think of at the time.  
"Hello?"  
"Tifa I need help!" Cloud practically shouted. "They're hurt, I need help, there's blood everywhere!"  
"I'll be right over." The phone went dead, and Cloud checked on both children again before leaving a first aid kit with Rin.  
"Someone's coming to help you, alright?" Cloud said, brushing the hair back from Rin's face.  
The girl nodded, just before the knock on the door. She watched him leave, and tried to stay calm.  
Tifa was at the door. "What happened this time?" she asked.  
"Wolves." Cloud replied. "They got in with the dogs, and kids got bitten. I can't help Rin, the bites are, well, not somewhere I should be touching."  
Tifa stepped into the room. "I'll take care of her." she said, shutting the door. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she checked the bites. "Cloud was right, these are kinda high up." she said, noting the tears in the clothing. Taking a cloth and some antiseptic wash, the brunette began to clean the wounds.  
"Ow!" Rin gasped.  
"Sorry." Tifa kept cleaning the wounds. "This wouldn't have happened if you and your brother had just come to stay with me."  
"Stop ragging on him." Rin said, sitting up a little so Tifa could properly tend to her arm. "Cloud's doing everything he can for us. It was our fault for not noticing there were more than six dogs."  
Tifa was quiet a moment as she wrapped the bandage around Rin's arm. "Did he tell you about Denzel?"  
"Yeah." The girl wobbled a bit where she sat.  
"Lie down." Tifa instructed, leaning Rin back. "And?"  
"He's trying to teach us. And when he knows he'll be away over dinner, he's got stuff ready for us, or someone comes to cook with us. He's trying his best." Rin blinked slowly, getting tired from the injuries.  
"Rest, alright?" said Tifa. She stood and closed the first aid kit before stepping out. "Oh." she said, seeing Cloud standing out in the hallway.  
"So, how is she?" Cloud asked.  
"It was good that you called someone over." Tifa said, putting the kit down. "So, how's her brother, Len?"  
"Kid's not as strong as he tries to be, but he should be alright." Cloud replied. "Thanks, Tifa."  
"For what?"  
"Coming out to help. I appreciate it."  
"Well, you are trying to do better with these two, right? It'd be wrong to turn you away when you ask for help, then."


	10. Doctor Problems

Chapter 10 - Doctor Problems

Cloud had been off work for two days, which was for the better. He worried endlessly over the twins, who were having a hard time getting up to do anything because of the injuries sustained from the wolves.  
It was early morning the third day when he heard a soft gasping from Len's room. Stepping in to check, he noticed the boy had fallen out of his bed trying to get up. Cloud picked Len up and put him to bed, noticing the pale pallor in the boy's skin and flushed face.  
"Len?"  
"Water." Len whispered. "Please?"  
Cloud nodded, touching the boy's forehead. It was burning hot. Still, he retrieved a glass of water from the kitchen and helped hold Len up as the boy drank.  
Len fell asleep almost immediately after drinking, making Cloud worry more. He stepped into the room across the hall to check on Rin, only to find her condition the same. Both children were feverish.  
Cloud quietly stepped out of the room and tried to think. The kids needed a doctor, but he knew he couldn't move them in their current condition, nor could he leave them alone. And he didn't know any doctors, either.  
Looking at his cell, Cloud sighed and dialed his cousin.  
"Hello?"  
"Elena, it's Cloud." He sounded pathetic. "The kids are sick." Tears started to run down his face. "They both have nasty fevers, and it's all my fault."  
"Cloud, what makes it your fault?" Elena asked.  
"They got attacked by wolves, and I called Tifa over to help Rin because of some of the bites and scratches, and now both of them are sick and I can't loose them." By this point Cloud was sitting on the floor, one hand in his hair, tears streaming down his face. "I need to know if you know a doctor who'll come check on them."  
Elena paused a moment. "Yeah, I know someone." She quoted a number to Cloud. "Tell the doctor Elena said to do it."  
"Ok. Thanks." Cloud hung up and called the number, not questioning who it could be.  
"Hello?"  
Crap! It was Tseng. "It's Cloud Strife calling. I have two sick children here in need of care, and Elena said you should do it."  
There was silence a moment. "Fine, I'll be over. Your address?"  
Cloud gave it to him, then hung up the phone. Of all the people Elena had to send his way, why Tseng? Why the doctor that had seen Denzel's dead body?  
Tseng was there within the hour, half-expecting to see two children knocking on Death's doorway. He was shocked when Cloud showed him the two rooms and noticed both children were still very much alive. "Leave me to my work." he said, stepping first into Rin's room.  
Cloud paced. He paused, took a deep breath, and called Reeve.  
"Cloud?"  
"Yeah, it's me. Look, I can't work today."  
"It have something to do with the kids?"  
"Yeah. They're both sick with fevers, and Tseng's here right now checking on them."  
"Will you be in tomorrow?"  
"If I can. I'll call if I can't, ok?"  
"Alright. Hope they get better soon."  
Cloud nodded. "Thanks, Reeve." He hung up the phone, only to nearly drop it seconds later when it rang again. "Hello?"  
"Cloudy, sweety. Hi."  
"Uh, hi, Selphie." Cloud said, not sure why she was using that awful sticky-sweet voice. "Why are you calling? Aren't you at work?"  
"I was just calling to see if those two brats had kicked the bucket yet."  
That was it for Cloud. "If you can't even try to put an ounce of care into the two I have, then I never want to speak to you again!" he snapped. "And they're still alive, thank you." He snapped the phone shut and slumped down into a chair, letting out a puff of air that ruffled his bangs. This just wasn't going well.  
Tseng stepped out of Len's room and looked at Cloud. "I've finished." he said.  
"And?" Cloud asked, getting up.  
"They have infections in the wounds. What were they attacked by?"  
"Wolves." Cloud replied. "They got into the yard with the dogs, and the twins didn't notice until it was too late. I didn't even notice."  
"I recommend rest and medicine to fight the inflammation." Tseng said.  
"How much?" Cloud asked.  
"80,000 gil." came the reply.  
Cloud handed over the money. After Tseng left, Cloud checked the medication, cursing himself afterwards. If he followed the directions, which he'd have to to make sure they recovered, he only had enough for three days for both of them. He'd have to work, and work hard, in order to get more.  
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`  
"Seventh Heaven, Marlene Walace speaking." The young girl looked over at Tifa. "One moment." She put her hand on the receiver. "Tifa, it's for you."  
Tifa accepted the phone. "Hello, Tifa speaking." She looked shocked. "Slow down, Cloud. What happened?" She put down her rag. "I'll be right over." Putting the phone down, Tifa grabbed her purse. "Rude, I have to go over to Cloud's, he's asked me to watch the kids."  
"Take care." said the big bald man, giving Tifa a hug and a kiss.  
Tifa headed down to Cloud's house and knocked.  
Cloud was already dressed in his delivery gear when he answered. "Hey, Tifa. Thanks for coming."  
"Why couldn't you call Elena or Shira?"  
"Shira's already got her hands full with her and Cid's five, plus she's pregnant again, and Elena's away this week, starting today, to visit family, or whatever's left of it."  
"So, what's wrong?"  
Cloud sighed. "They have fevers. Tseng said it's infection from the wounds, and they have to take their medicine three times a day. Problem is, 80,000 gil only bought three days, and I know they're going to need more to get better. They can hardly drag themselves to the bathroom and back, so I need someone to watch them while I work."  
"It's ok." said Tifa. "I'll watch them for you. Just don't make yourself sick, ok?"  
Cloud nodded. "I'm gonna be late, tonight." he said before leaving.  
This continued for about a week. Tifa would come over in the morning, and Cloud would say good bye to the twins and leave for the day, returning late at night. The second week, Tifa would come in the morning and evening to make sure they got food and a good cooked meal, but the twin were otherwise able to mostly care for themselves. The third and fourth weeks, it was just the occasional trip over to help with dinner.  
It was a warmer night when the crunching of tires on gravel didn't come.


	11. Bar Trip Repeat

Chapter 11 - Bar Trip Repeat

It had been three days. The supply of reheat and eat suppers was out, now, and he still wasn't home. The twins had no idea what was wrong. Cloud was never away this long without someone there to watch over them.  
"Len, I'm worried." said Rin as she put the cold cereal bowls away.  
"I'm worried, too. We have no way of calling him to see what's up, either."  
"What about Tifa?" Rin asked.  
"What about her?"  
"She has a phone." Rin replied. "And if we told her, she might be able to help. Besides, I don't think either of us wants canned beans again for dinner."  
Len nodded. "Alright. As soon as I write a note for Cloud, just in case he gets back while we're out." He scribbled out as best he could that he and Rin were going over to Tifa's because they were worried about him and were going to try calling him from there.  
Rin took Len's still-bandaged hand as they walked down the street towards Seventh Heaven. She was grateful that Cloud had taught them how to read and write, since the sign for the bar had been fixed.  
Tifa looked up as the bell on the door jingled. "He;lo and wel . . . What happened? Why are you two here?" she asked, coming around from behind the counter.  
"Cloud hasn't come home." said Rin.  
"But it's mid-afternoon." Tifa said, looking at them both. "Sit down, I'll get you two something to drink."  
The twins sat at one of the tables and looked around. Aside from them there was the big dark-skinned man with the gun arm (Barret) sitting at a table with his daughter and another kid that apparently was her boyfriend. Then, there was the other blonde man, Cid, sitting by himself drinking a non-alcoholic beer. The guy with the red cape (Vincent) was sitting at the bar, and there were a few other patrons that the twins didn't recognize.  
"Here you go." said Tifa. She sat at the table with them. "What happened to make you two come all the way up here?"  
"Cloud hasn't come home in three days." said Len before he took a sip of his banana milk shake.  
"Three days? Isn't there usually someone who comes to stay with you if he's gone that long?" Tifa asked.  
Rin nodded, drinking some of her orange juice. "We were wondering if you could try calling him, since there's no phone at the house."  
"Ok, I'll get my phone for you." Tifsa got up and went around behind the counter again.  
The bell on the door jingled again, followed by a thud.  
"Hello, and welcome to . . . huh?" Tifa walked over to the side closest to the door. "Oh goodness! Rude, get down here!"  
A few of the patrons looked over, but it was the twins that recognized the bloody and unconscious figure. "Cloud!" they both cried.  
Rude walked over and picked Cloud up, carrying him to the upper floor.  
Tifa looked at the frightened twins, then called Tseng. "Hi, Tseng, it's Tifa. Get your ass over to my bar, now, I have an injured father here who's kids really need him alive." She clicked the phone shut and looked over at Rin and Len. "Sit, the doctor will be here soon to take care of him, alright?"  
They nodded and sat at their table again. They watched as Tseng came in and headed upstairs.  
Tifa had the two move over to the bar as the place got busier so she could keep an eye on them. She knew what kind of anxiety they were going through; she'd once worried about Cloud the same way, shortly after the fight with Kadaj. Cloud had suffered a serious shoulder wound from Sephiroth, and had been shot through the back and chest by Loz. They were all surprised that he'd managed to stand and help Denzel and the other kids that fateful day, since afterwards he'd been a pain-riddled wreck for the next two weeks.  
Hours ticked by, and Tifa closed the bar. It was shortly after that Tseng came downstairs. "He's out of danger, now. The wounds should be healed in about a week."  
"How's that possible?" Rin asked.  
"Those looked worse than the bites we suffered." Len added.  
Vincent looked over, having still been in the bar. "Cloud's special." he said. "He's got Mako in his veins."  
"What's Mako?" Len asked.  
"It's an energy source from the planet." Vincent replied. "Those that remain with the gift can be identified by their almost glowing blue eyes."  
"Can we see Cloud?" Rin asked.  
"I don't see why not." said Tseng. "Third room on the right at the top of the stairs."  
"There are extra beds in there." said Tifa. "So make yourselves comfortable after you talk to him. I'm not sending you two home in the dark."  
"Thank you, Tifa." the twins said before heading upstairs.  
Cloud was awake when they reached the room, gasping slightly for his next breath. Looking over, he spotted Rin and Len. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, wincing slightly.  
"We got worried when you didn't come home after three days, so we came here to ask Tifa if we could use her phone." said Rin.  
"A good idea. Reno and - *hiss* - Elena aren't back yet." Cloud paused. "Sorry I worried you two." There was a tear in the corner of his eye.  
"Just rest, ok?" said Rin.  
"It's our turn to take care of you." Len added.  
"I'm just glad you two are ok." Cloud said, a little softer this time. "I was . . . worried something might have happened." He dropped off back to sleep.  
The twins climbed into the two other beds in the room and were soon asleep as well.


	12. Family

Chapter 12 - Family

It was snowing. Two months had passed since Cloud had been wounded, and now Len and Rin were trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.  
"Rin. Len." Cloud called from the back door. He smiled as the pair came running over, kicking off their boots before coming inside.  
Rin suddenly grabbed Len's hand. She didn't like the other person that was in the house. "Who's that?" she asked.  
"Rin, don't be rude." Len whispered.  
Cloud smiled. "Kids, this is Rufus Shinra. He's a lawyer."  
The twins regarded the white-suited man with a wary stare, even as they put their boots and coats away.  
"They're very well behaved children, Cloud." Rufus observed. "I can understand why you'd want to."  
Len looked over. "Want to what?"  
"Well, Rufus is here to do some legal work, depending on your answer to a question." Cloud said.  
"Your talking in riddles." Rin pouted. "What question?"  
"Do you want to be a family?" Cloud asked.  
The pair blinked at him.  
"I thought we were family." Len said. Beside him Rin nodded hard enough to have her alice-band-bow fall over her eyes.  
Cloud smiled and nodded to Rufus. He gathered the twins close and held them, smiling.  
"There we go. Adoption papers for two." said Rufus. He placed the copies on the table. "Congratulations, Cloud. Their beautiful children."  
"Thanks, Rufus." Cloud smiled. He looked at the twins.  
His twins.  
His family.


End file.
